Shadowed Heart
by Shara Nai
Summary: A HotU fanfic centered around Shara Nailo, a shadowdancer with a very troubled past, as well as everybodys favorite tiefling. (Revised)
1. Chapter 1

The standard disclaimer applies here. None of the characters from Hordes of the Underdark or Forgotten Realms belong to me. Only Shara Nailo and other characters from her life are my own. So, without further ado…

**Shadowed Heart**

by Shara Nai

There was something soothing about traveling by boat. Maybe it was the sound of the water gently lapping at the hull that put Shara at ease, she wasn't quite sure, but she wasn't going to spoil this moment of peace by trying to puzzle it out. There had been precious little time to relax over the past few days, so she was determined to make the most of their trip back to Lith My'athar.

She leaned back against the hull of the boat and stretched her legs out in what little space there was. She and Valen had somehow found room for themselves, despite the fact that Cavallas had an astounding array of things crammed in the back of his boat. She was mildly curious as to what some of them were, but something told her it would be better not to ask.

Valen had wedged himself between a sack of something that had a rather disturbing musty smell, and a small pile of crates. He definitely did not appear to be enjoying himself as much as Shara was. The spot he had picked was as far away from the water as possible, and there was a grimly determined look on his face, as if he was bracing himself for something horrible to happen.

"Who would have though that someone who has by all accounts faced death on a multitude of occasions would be afraid of boats?" Shara knew it probably wasn't a good idea to tease him right now, but she just couldn't help herself.

He glanced up at her sharply. "I am _not_ afraid of boats!" he growled.

"Well then, how do you explain the fact that you have refused to look at the water since you boarded?" she said sweetly. "And you do realize that your knuckles are turning white, don't you?" She looked pointedly down at his hands, which were clenched in tight fists at his sides.

Valen looked at his hands in surprise, forcing himself to relax them. He hadn't realized that he was as nervous as he was; it was just that he had never had much opportunity to travel by boat. Of course, it didn't help that he knew just enough about the Dark River to wonder how the boat withstood the caustic waters. He kept picturing the water eating holes in the hull and seeping in around their feet, the boat slowly sinking to the bottom of the river… He noticed that his hands were clenched again and sighed. He really wasn't doing well at all.

The half-elf looked entirely too at ease, completely unconcerned that certain death lay just a handbreadth behind her back. Her green eyes sparkled with mirth. Clearly, she was amused with his predicament. He eyed her warily as a particularly mischievous expression crossed her face.

"You know, I probably would be a bit nervous about all this water if I had on as much armor as you. I think you might sink faster than the boat."

Valen shuddered. "Thank you for that image, Shara." he said, sarcasm thick in his voice. "Remind me to hold on to you if the boat does go down. The two of us together should sink so much faster, don't you think?"

Shara laughed delightedly, stopping herself as his glare deepened, a hint of red touching his eyes. "I'm sorry Valen. That wasn't very nice of me, was it?" She tried to look repentant, but was finding it rather difficult, even though she had obviously pushed too far.

He sighed, shaking his head. "Let's just talk about something else, alright?"

"In that case," Shara began, "I've been wondering a bit about your time in the Abyss." She was hoping that his obvious desire to change the subject would allow her to learn a bit more about him.

Normally, she didn't pry into peoples past, since that encouraged them to ask about her own, but he was an exception. She had been inexplicably drawn to him since her arrival in the Underdark, a fact that frightened her more than a bit. She hadn't been this intrigued by someone since she met Devyn all those years ago.

A small shiver ran down her spine as she remembered those days. It had all looked so bright and beautiful in the beginning, who would have thought that it would lead to such darkness… such pain. She had held herself apart from everyone in the years since then, her memories enough to keep her resolve strong, but she found herself faltering now. The wall she had built to protect herself was crumbling at the edges, and she didn't know how to fix it. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to, anymore, and that terrified her most of all.

Valen looked at her curiously. "You want me to speak about my time spent fighting? Whatever for?"

Shara shrugged, trying not to show the uncertainty that her impulsive question was causing her. "You needn't bother if you don't wish to talk of this. No doubt we can find something else to speak of."

He thought about this for a long moment before replying, "Very well. If it will please my lady, I would gladly tell her a tale or two. Ask what you will."

She had almost hoped that he would choose to change the subject, but since he hadn't, she forged ahead. "What did you do before you were taken captive? What was your childhood like?"

"I was a young lad in the streets of Sigil, if you must know. An orphan since my mother had died, and a thief when I could get away with it." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I haven't thought of those days for a very long time."

"A thief, hmm…" Shara smiled as she pictured a whip thin boy with flaming red hair and a fierce look in his eyes lingering at the edge the street, nimble fingers darting out to snatch an unsuspecting pedestrian's purse.

"Indeed. It was long ago, so I've no skills from those days, but at the time I was one of the finest urchin pickpockets in the Hive." He smirked a bit at this, clearly proud of his past skills.

"It seems we have more in common than I suspected." Shara said, her smile deepening. "I myself never had much skill as a pickpocket, but fortunately I had other methods of supporting myself while I was on the streets. I was still a thief, just of a different sort."

Her statement startled Valen. Well, the fact that she had been a thief wasn't that surprising, since she was clearly still in full possession of those skills. What he found unusual was that she had freely told him something about her past. Since the day he had met her, Shara had rebuffed every attempt he had made to learn more about her, which certainly hadn't made trusting her any easier. Something had changed though, and he wasn't quite sure what that was.

He regarded her curiously, unsure now how best to proceed. She was seemingly lost in thought, gazing out across the inky waters of the river. A stray lock of dark hair had fallen in front of her face, which she absently pushed behind a faintly pointed ear. His eyes lingered on her hand as she dropped it lightly to her side. She had such slender dexterous fingers, so deft at picking a lock, Valen found himself wondering just what else those hands could do. He barely stopped himself from reaching out and taking her hand in his own, but he somehow knew that doing so would spoil any chance he had of learning more about her.

He glanced up at her face only to find her watching him with a bemused smile. He should have known better than to think she had been distracted for even a moment. He had never met anyone quite as aware of what was going on around her as Shara.

Valen steered his mind back towards safer territory. "How did you become a thief, anyway?" If she was feeling talkative, he was determined to take advantage of the situation.

It was Shara's turn to look thoughtful. She considered finding a way to avoid answering his question, but decided there was no harm in telling him a little about the earlier part of her life. It was certainly better than thinking about how his gaze was making her feel.

"I learned to stay out of sight when I was very young. My stepfather was none too fond of me, and went out of his way to make my life difficult. He never missed an opportunity to remind me of just what I was, a half-breed and a bastard." She shrugged, trying to shake off the feeling of worthlessness that those words still made her feel.

"I was fifteen when I left home. My mother had known it would happen eventually, and set aside a bit to help me out, but it didn't last long. Before I knew it, I was in an unfamiliar city without a copper to my name and nowhere to go. I lived on the edges for a time, stealing what I could to get by, until I finally was caught." She smiled an odd little smile, just a bare twist of her lips. "It was probably the best thing that could have happened at the time."

The boat rolled slightly, sliding the questionable sack a bit closer to her. She eyed it cautiously before continuing. "It seemed like the perfect opportunity, he appeared completely unaware of anyone around him and his purse was hanging at his belt in easy reach. I figured that even I could pull off this one. Imagine my surprise when I found my wrist trapped tightly in his fingers the minute I went for his coins." She laughed a little, remembering her chagrin at being caught so easily.

"So," Valen prompted, "what did he do then?"

Still grinning, Shara continued on. "It turns out that he had been watching me for a number of days, looking for the perfect chance to catch me in the act. I thought that was the end of it for me, but he just stood there smiling as he held my wrist. Rather than the end, it turned out to be just the beginning."

She looked over at Valen to see that he was listening attentively. "You see, Caenor was himself a thief, and apparently he liked to keep an eye out for young lads and lasses like me. I guess he figured better he find us than the law. He taught me how to use my skills to do more than just survive. Eventually I felt confidant enough to strike out on my own. I will always be indebted to him for helping me get to that point."

She stopped at this point, realizing that to go on would bring up things that she would rather not discuss. It was one thing to tell him about her childhood, but she wasn't about to reveal her deepest secrets to him. It was time to get this conversation back under her control.

"I seem to remember that we were speaking of your youth in Sigil before we became so horribly sidetracked. You mentioned that you lost your mother. If I may ask, how did she die?" Shara watched Valen carefully, not quite sure how he would react to her question.

His eyes grew sad as he thought back. "She was murdered by a customer. Or so I was told."

Despite her reservations, Shara found herself reaching out to take his hand into her much smaller gloved one. He looked up in surprise, but didn't try to pull away. "I'm sorry." she said. It was such an inadequate statement, but it seemed to be enough for Valen, as he smiled sadly and laced his fingers through hers.

"Thank you, Shara. We were not close, however. I barley remember her, in fact, though I would not have wished her end on anyone." The tiefling's tail began to move a bit faster, gently slapping against a nearby box. "My mother worked for a… very greedy and selfish demoness. I am certain that she killed my mother because she did not perform sufficiently one month when she was ill. The demoness disliked mortal frailty," he frowned deeply at the memory, "and disliked me even more. I was on the street, homeless, within an hour of my mother's death."

Sympathy shone clearly in Shara's eyes as she squeezed his hand tightly for a moment. "To be alone so young…" she said softly, "there's no fairness in that."

"Whoever said life was fair, my lady?" Valen caught her gaze and saw a flicker of remembered pain cross her eyes. "If it was, you would not have had to live thorough whatever it is that haunts you." Her eyes widened in surprise, clearly she hadn't realized she had revealed so much.

The errant lock of hair had fallen across her cheek once again, and he slipped his fingers from hers and tucked it behind her ear. He brushed her cheek gently as he pulled his hand away. "You hide it well, Shara. Only your eyes give you away." He noticed a faint hint of fear in her gaze, and smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring way. "You needn't worry, my lady. I know better than to pry."

"Thank you, Valen. I appreciate that." She shut her eyes as a small shiver ran through her body. "It's not a time I care to remember much."

"Then I don't mind talking a bit more about myself, if it will keep your mind from darker times." He tried to settle himself into a more comfortable position, but the cramped confines did not allow for much movement. "What would you like to know of next?"

Shara pushed the troubling memories away, and tried to focus on Valen's question. "You told me earlier that you spent twenty years or more in the Abyss. How is it that you didn't die during all that time?"

His brow furrowed as he pondered the question. "To tell you the truth, I do not know. There were times I wanted to die. There were times I tried to die. But I never did. Perhaps it was simply my fate to survive long enough to escape Grimash't's grasp. I certainly do not question it overmuch."

Shara leaned her head against a nearby stack of crates and smiled shyly. "Well, I'm thankful you're here too."

He returned her smile, a bit bashful himself. "Thank you, my lady. That is most kind of you."

She watched him in silence for a while. He had relaxed considerably since they had started talking. He was now leaning somewhat comfortably against the back of the boat, hands resting on his knees and tail swishing gently at his side. She had never expected to find herself attracted to a man with a tail and horns, but she could no longer deny how she felt, despite how uncomfortable the thought made her. She wondered if there had ever been someone else in his life. Before she realized what she was doing, she found herself speaking her thoughts aloud. "Valen, have you ever… been in love?"

Valen turned and looked at her, shock evident on his face. That was the last thing he had expected her to ask. Of course, considering the expression on her face, he didn't think she had meant to speak those words.

"That… that is a most personal question, my lady…" He stopped, unsure of what to say next.

"I… I'm sorry, Valen. I had no right to ask that. Please, forget that I ever did." She looked down at her hands self-consciously, rubbing her fingers against her wrist as if to sooth a remembered pain. He had seen her do this before, and wondered just what it was that she was hiding behind those gloves.

He was silent for a moment longer, considering whether what he wanted to say next was wise. Wise or not, he decided to take the chance. "I shall answer that question, Shara, if you will do the same."

This got her to look up at him. "Valen, I thought you said that you wouldn't pry?"

"You needn't say anything, if you do not wish… but you did ask first." He didn't push any further, just waited for her response.

"Fair enough," she said ruefully, "but you first."

He was silent for a long moment, and then finally he nodded. "Yes, I was, once." He caught her gaze and held it before continuing. "She died."

"I'm so sorry, Valen." She had dropped her guard enough now that he could see that she truly meant what she said.

He couldn't hide the pain that he felt either, but he swallowed it back and nodded slowly. "Thank you, my lady. It is… not easy to discuss her, even still. She was a mortal servant to my master in the Abyss. When I was being tortured, my master brought her before me and… and he killed her." He closed his eyes, frowning. "It was meant to cause me pain and it did. But that was a long time ago."

Shara watched him for a long while before speaking. "And there has been no one else since?"

He smiled gently, staring at a far off point in the distance. "No, nobody else since. I have moved on, however… but there has been no one else."

After a moment, he turned his gaze back to the half-elf questioningly. She didn't say anything for a time, but finally in a soft voice she spoke. "I was just seventeen, young and so very naive. Devyn was everything I could have wished for, handsome, a daring thief, and kind. He treated me as if I was the finest lady in the land. I soon learned though, that a bright surface could hide a great deal of darkness. It…" She faltered, closing her eyes in pain. "It ended badly… very badly."

She hugged her knees to her chest and sat there for a moment before continuing, eyes still closed. "I don't know that there ever can be someone else after what he did to me."

Valen wanted to wrap his arms around her and shield her from the pain, but he suspected that would be too much for her. Instead, he reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand. "Never say never, Shara. You can't know what the future may hold."

She opened her eyes and looked at him, a tear slowly falling from the corner of one eye. "Careful, Valen, you just might give me hope."

He gently brushed the tear away. "Then have hope, my lady."

Somehow, it felt wrong to break this silence, so he sat back, content to watch her for the duration of the voyage. Sooner than he would have liked, he felt the boat nudge the dock, and it was time to go ashore. They disembarked in silence and walked together to the temple to report to the Seer.


	2. Chapter 2

Valen watched Shara with some concern as they followed a particularly narrow and twisty passage. She was so absorbed in her thoughts, that she wasn't giving her full attention to where they were going. Admittedly, even when distracted the shadowdancer was a far better scout than he, but it still worried him. By now he would have thought that she realized just how dangerous the Underdark was. He was going to have to make sure that they stopped to rest as soon as possible; they just couldn't afford either of them to be in less than top form.

That opportunity came soon enough, as the path they were on opened up into a large cavern. The ceiling was lost in the darkness far above, an occasional stalactite emerging from the gloom the only sign that there actually was anything above them. Well, that and the ever oppressive feeling that seemed to permeate the Underdark. Valen thought he saw a deep chasm in the distance, and possibly a bridge spanning it, but couldn't be sure from this far away. Nearby, there was a small alcove that would serve well enough as a campsite. It was only a slight hollow in the wall of the cavern, but it would afford them some small amount of protection, and allowed a full view of anything that might approach.

"Shara," Valen said, turning to the half-elf, "it might be a good idea to stop and rest for a bit. We may not get another chance anytime soon."

She looked at him incredulously. "You want to stop and rest? The Valsharess' army is getting closer to Lith My'athar every day and you've decided that we need to sit and twiddle our thumbs for a few hours!" Her voice was rising to dangerous levels. If she kept this up, they were going to bring half the Underdark down on them. "If we are to have any chance of stopping her, we can't afford to waste any time."

Valen just stood there, stunned motionless by her outburst. Even his tail had stopped moving, which rarely ever happened. What in the nine hells was eating at the woman? He may not have known her for very long, but he was fairly sure that lashing out at him like this was not what she would consider normal behavior.

By now, Shara was pacing back and forth in clear agitation, oblivious to his shock. "I thought you cared what happened to the Seer and her people." she said, pinning him with an accusing glare.

Rage washed over Valen so quickly, he barely restrained himself from knocking her flat on the ground. His demonic blood was screaming at him to make her pay for her words, to make her beg to take them back as he broke every one of those slender little fingers… He pushed those urges back violently, trying to calm himself enough to get a rational word out.

Two quick steps put him squarely in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. He reached out and trapped her chin between his fingers, forcing her to look at him, before speaking. "Shara, if you keep this up, you're going to get us both killed. I may not believe in prophesy, but I do know that you are our best chance of getting out of this alive." She winced as he tightened his grip. "I for one do not wish to die, so if you will just calm down and think before you do anything else foolish, I would appreciate it."

"Valen," Shara said, her green eyes never leaving the tiefling, "let go, please. You're hurting me."

He swore softly as he dropped his hand from her face. Small spots of red were blooming where his fingers had just been. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he could never completely control his temper.

She eyed him cautiously as she gingerly touched her jaw, assessing the damage his grip had done. "Are you alright?" he asked, concern evident on his face. He honestly hadn't meant to hurt her.

Shara carefully touched a particularly livid spot before nodding. "I'm fine, Valen." She started to say something more, but stopped herself, staring off at nothing for a long moment. She frowned as she turned back to him, shaking her head slightly before speaking what was on her mind.

"No, I'm not fine. As much as I hate to admit it, you're right." She turned away again and walked over to the path they had just left. Sighing, she leaned her head against the rough stone of the wall. "I know we just walked down that path, but I couldn't tell you half of what we passed by in there. Normally, I'd be able to retrace it with my eyes closed, but I just can't seem to keep focused on anything lately!" Shara kicked at the ground in frustration, sending a small flurry of pebbles chasing each other as they tumbled away.

"Maybe I do need to stop for a while… I guess it can't hurt." She glanced around for a moment before spotting the alcove he had noticed earlier. "That looks as good a place as any to set up camp, though I don't think a fire would be too smart. I've probably already attracted too much attention as is."

Shara was quiet as she walked over to their chosen campsite. Valen could hardly believe the speed with which the change had come over her. The sheer unpredictability of her current mood just served to confirm his belief that she needed some time to rest and get a hold of herself. He just hoped it would be enough to keep another outburst like the last at bay.

Valen dropped his pack next to hers and pulled out his bedroll. Even though he didn't expect to get any sleep, Shara needed it far more than he did, he figured that he might as well be as comfortable as possible. He watched her as he settled himself against the wall. She was frowning a bit as she pushed her pack into the corner and laid her sword within easy reach. He could clearly tell that something was troubling her, though anyone who had witnessed the last few minutes would have come to the same conclusion. She had calmed down considerably, but even so, she did not seem to be trying to hide her feelings anymore.

He thought about this for a moment before realizing that he had been able to read her without too much difficulty since their conversation the previous day. Valen began to wonder if he had pushed her too far then, reawakening something in her that would have been better to leave alone, at least until they had dealt with their current problems. He hadn't realized at the time just how fragile she was, but it was becoming all too apparent that underneath the façade of strength she projected was someone in danger of shattering at the slightest touch.

The problem was that every time he warned himself to be careful around her, he found himself ignoring his own advice. Right now was a perfect example. As she wrapped her cloak around herself and settled down to sleep, all Valen could think about was discovering just what it was that was bothering her so much. To be completely honest, it wasn't just the fact that it threatened their chances of success that this troubled him. He just couldn't stand to see her so clearly miserable, something that he found rather surprising when he took some time to think about it.

He watched her for a long time, once she finally fell asleep, lost in his own thoughts. He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there, a fair bit longer than he had meant to, he was sure, when a faint sound startled him to attention. It took him a moment to realize that it was Shara, murmuring in her sleep. No longer did she seem to be resting peacefully. Her hands were clenched tightly, and her expression was strained. Whatever she was dreaming was definitely not pleasant. He debated waking her up, finally deciding it was best to do so when she began to sound distinctly frightened.

"Shara…" he said, reaching out to shake her gently awake. He didn't get any farther than that. At the slightest touch to her shoulder, she shot awake and stumbled back against the wall. The look on her face was one of pure terror. There was absolutely no recognition in her eyes, just the panicked look of a cornered animal. Valen most definitely had not been prepared to deal with this.

Instinct told him to leave her be until she woke up enough to realize where she was, and for once, he made himself do just that. Luckily, it wasn't long before he saw a flicker of recognition cross her face. Before he could do anything though, she had turned away, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees. She wasn't making this easy for him.

It seemed like an eternity to Valen, as he sat there, eyes fixed on Shara's back. At some point, she had rested her forehead on her knees and was gently rocking back and forth. It was almost hypnotic, watching her lithe form swaying in front of him, so much so that it was a moment before he realized she had begun to cry. Her whole body trembled as she fought back the tears, immersed in whatever memories the dream had brought back.

"Shara, are you alright?" He knew damn well it was a stupid question, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. She just ignored him, wrapping her arms tighter about herself.

For all that he wanted to let her deal with this at her own pace, Valen knew they didn't have the time to indulge her. They had already spent longer than he had intended resting, so unfortunately, she needed to come back to the present now. He wasn't quite sure how she was going to react to being disturbed, so it was with some trepidation that he reached out to her.

He should have just left well enough alone. She spun around, knocking his hand away with surprising force. Rage was now blazing from her tear-streaked face. "Can't you bloody well tell when someone wants to be left alone?"

She pointedly turned her back to him and began to repack her bedroll. Her motions were a far cry from the grace she usually exhibited, anger making her uncharacteristically clumsy. She tied her bedroll to her pack with one final violent jerk and slung it over her shoulder, walking off without a word.

Valen's eyes narrowed has he watched her go, packing his own things as quickly as he could. This day certainly had gone from bad to worse, and unfortunately, there would be ample opportunity for the situation to deteriorate even further. He set off at a trot, intent on catching up with her before she got too far ahead.

By the time he had done so, Shara was standing at the edge of the chasm examining what appeared to be a control panel, though not like any he had ever seen before, which stood near the shadowy outline of a bridge. Well, at least he had been right about the bridge, even if he seemed to be fouling everything else up. She was pressing controls seemingly at random, but it didn't appear to be getting her very far. Suddenly, she screamed in frustration, slamming her fist down on the display, making the image shift slightly.

"If you can make any sense of this damned thing, be my guest. I just don't have the patience to deal with it right now." With that she stormed off, viciously kicking stones out of her way as she went.

Valen sighed in resignation, turning his attention to the device in front of him. He wasn't sure that he would be any better than Shara at figuring this out, but she hadn't left him much choice. It took some time, but eventually he saw a pattern in how the controls worked. He held his breath as her pressed what he hoped would be the final button, and was relieved when a bright flash of light revealed a now substantial bridge across the deep rift.

He turned to see if Shara had noticed the sudden appearance of a bridge out of thin air, only to have his heart leap in his chest. She was standing at the very edge of the chasm, staring down into its black depths! All it would take was one wrong move and she would plummet to her death. Valen restrained himself from calling out to her, despite his panic. The last thing he wanted to do was explain to the Seer that her prophetical savior had died when he had startled her into falling down a bottomless pit.

"Shara," he said, his voice tense, "could you move a little farther away from the edge, please." She shrugged as she looked over at him, but thankfully took a few steps backwards.

"I see you figured out how to make that damn thing work." She stared at the bridge for a moment, her expression unreadable once again. "It looks safe enough, so I guess we should get going." She set off at once, leaving him once again to trail behind in her wake.

This had to be one of the more miserable journeys Valen had experienced recently. Shara walked just a few paces ahead of him, but it might as well have been a few miles. She was absolutely closed to him. The stiff set of her shoulders told him that she was still furious, but whether it was at him or herself he couldn't tell. At this point though, it didn't much matter. They were once again walking blind through the Underdark, and it was just a matter of time before something nasty found them. He just hoped it wouldn't be more than they could handle.

What was worse was that even he was finding it difficult to concentrate on where they were going. Despite the fact that he was well aware of the danger of such inattention, his mind couldn't help but dwell upon the events of the past day. He picked apart every last detail of their conversations. Could he have done something different, said something more… or less. It was maddening, but he just couldn't stop himself. He was like a child with a fresh wound, unable to cease prodding it to see if it still hurt.

A flicker of movement in the corner of his eye was all the warning he had. Suddenly, a drow materialized from the shadows ahead of them. The soft scuffing of feet behind him told him that there were more at his back. They had been surrounded without ever having been aware of the danger. The vile curses flowing from Shara's lips made it clear that she had been just as surprised as he.

Valen looked about him, assessing their situation. A good half dozen drow encircled them, most with crossbows trained upon the pair in their midst, but a few looked to be skilled in the arcane arts. Normally these odds would not have bothered him, but the drow at the forefront changed everything. He held his weapon, a sinister looking two bladed sword, with an ease that spoke of years, most likely decades, of training. There was a coldness in his eyes, a single-mindedness that couldn't be argued with. This man's whole purpose for existing was to kill at his mistress' order, a mindset that was all too familiar to Valen. There would be no negotiation, of that he was certain.

The leader's gaze flickered briefly across Valen, before finally coming to rest on Shara. "So, what have we here? None other than the very woman who hampered the attack efforts in Undermountain, it appears." He circled about them, regarding the half-elf with an avaricious gleam in his eyes. "We have been looking for you for quite some time, but I certainly did not expect you to fall right into my hands."

"Who in all hells are you?" Shara snarled at the drow. He sighed in mock regret, ignoring her question, as his violet eyes continued to follow the curves of her body. Valen felt a tide of anger rising inside him. If that bloody drow even laid one finger on her… he shook the thought off with some trouble. This most certainly was not the time to let his temper get the better of him.

The drow didn't miss the look in his eyes, smiling cruelly as he continued. "It's a pity the Valsharess has ordered your death, tu'rilthiir. You are quite lovely… for a surfacer."

Shara's eyes narrowed dangerously as she took a menacing step forward. "I damn well don't have time for this." Without further warning, she vanished from sight, blending effortlessly into the shadows.

Valen was thankful for the brief chaos that her disappearance caused, since it gave him just enough time to prepare himself for the inevitable onslaught, as the drow focused in on the only remaining target. Devil's Bane in hand, he cautiously circled the drow weapon master, using the moment to take the measure of his opponent. The other man was balanced lightly on his feet, pivoting gracefully as he followed Valen's movements. The drow's blade flashed out, barely grazing the tiefling's jaw as he dodged out of its way. That single blow was all it took; it was as if a whirlwind had been let loose in the cavern. The clash of arms filled the air, as the two spun about each other in a deadly dance

Valen was hard pressed to find an opening in the drow's defenses. More often than not, it was he who felt the cut of a blade against his skin. His focus became such that all else fell away, only those icy violet eyes and that deadly sword mattered. Somewhere in the distance the barrage of crossbows ended, as Shara's blade slipped out from the shadows to take the life of the last drow. Well… the next to last, since the final one was proving particularly difficult to kill. His ability to evade even the most well placed of Valen's blows was truly uncanny.

As he evaded yet another sweep of his enemy's blade, Valen sensed Shara slip up beside him. He shifted a step further to the left, drawing the drow's attention away from her, allowing the half-elf to dart in unseen at their opponent's back before letting the shadows envelop her once more. The distraction served its purpose, as the drow turned to meet the new threat, momentarily leaving his right side unguarded. Valen was able to land a solid blow, but even this seemed to have little effect.

He and Shara quickly developed a rhythm to their attacks. She was the veritable fly in the ointment as she slipped in and out of the shadows, the bite of her blade distracting the drow. Valen took advantage of this, finally landing more blows than he received. Ever so slowly, this ploy worked to weaken their enemy, until a particularly vicious blow sent him staggering. Before he could regain his balance, Shara drove her rapier deep into a gap in his armor. A look of disbelief crossed the drow's face as he fell to the ground, his life flowing swiftly from the gash in his side.

With the battle over, Valen finally had a chance to take a good look around himself. The region they were in was riddled with chasms, so much so that it was a wonder that no one had slipped over the edge amidst all the fighting. Steam was rising in delicate wisps from some unseen source in the depths, twining with the shadows as it disappeared into the darkness above. All this combined to create an aura of oppression reminiscent of certain parts of the Abyss. The fact that he was surrounded by corpses only served to enhance the effect. He shuddered, not wishing to dwell on the memories that were far too close to the surface at the moment. Shara wasn't the only one with things in her past better left forgotten.

He turned away from the rift in front of him to face the task of dealing with the dead, only to find that Shara was well ahead of him. She was methodically stripping the slain drow of anything useful or particularly valuable. He watched with some surprise as she slipped a slender gold chain from the neck of one of the mages, seemingly unfazed that the neck in question was slit from edge to edge and still oozing blood onto her hands, darkening the leather of her gloves. Well, Shara definitely wasn't squeamish, that was for certain, though he guessed she was probably used to dealing with her own handiwork by now.

As she reached back to set down the chain, she grazed her forearm against her hip, wincing as she did so. She shifted slightly as she started searching through the drow's pockets, allowing Valen to see the deep cut that spanned the length of her forearm. It looked to be a particularly nasty wound, starting at her wrist and curving around the underside of her arm to end near her elbow. The bleeding has slowed, but not stopped entirely, mingling with the blood of those she had slain, making a particularly gruesome sight of her hands.

As Valen made his way over to her side, Shara finally stopped to tend to her arm. He was actually a little surprised to see her do so without prompting. She was proving particularly stubborn about acknowledging when she was hurt. Of course, he shouldn't be too critical, considering he was probably far worse off than she was and not doing a thing about it. No matter, he deal with that after making sure Shara was all right.

She was fumbling awkwardly with her pack, her injured arm hurting her too much to be of much use. "Here," Valen said, kneeling down beside her, "let me help you with that" He quickly found the bandages and a small pot of salve that she always kept on hand. Since it wasn't her sword arm that was injured, these would do for now. Better to save the rest for when they truly needed it.

Setting them aside for a moment, he reached out to take her hand, turning it palm up to get a better view of the wound. It was deep but clean, and luckily it hadn't cut too the bone, so it could have been worse. The blade had sliced through the top of her glove, so he needed to get it off before he could actually do anything more. He carefully slipped it from her hand, doing his best not to cause her any more pain.

When he finally had gotten the glove off, it wasn't her wound that drew his attention. Rather, it was the thick silver scar the encircled her wrist. Before he realized what he was doing, Valen found himself tracing the line of the scar with his finger. He had a funny feeling that he knew how she had gotten it, especially if its twin could be found on her other wrist, which he suspected was the case.

Shara's hand had begun to tremble violently at his touch. His hand stopped its circuit of her wrist, and he could feel her pulse racing as his fingertips rested lightly against her skin. He looked up at her only to see that it wasn't just her hand that was shaking, it was her entire body. Her eyes were closed and her breath ragged with panic.

"Valen," she began, her eyes still firmly closed, "p… please stop."

Not wanting to cause her further distress, Valen took his fingers from her wrist and settled them against the palm of her hand. Shara took a few calming breaths before finally opening her eyes and looking at him. He started to speak, only to have her press her fingers against his lips, effectively silencing him.

"Don't ask, Valen." She dropped her hand from his face, but continued to hold his gaze. "This isn't something I want to talk about, not here… not now."

He simply nodded his agreement, which seemed to be enough for her. There still was the matter of gash on her arm to deal with, so Valen focused on that, rather than the myriad questions running through his head. With a little direction from Shara, he got her arm cleaned and bound quickly enough, leaving her free to turn a critical eye to his own injuries.

"You know," she said after a moment, "you're a mess." She waved her good hand at him absently. "We really should have taken care of these first."

He glanced down at himself and shrugged. "I've had worse."

Shara sighed, rolling her eyes at this comment. "I'm sure you have, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you sit here and bleed to death. It's bad enough that my stupidity nearly got us killed."

She reached out towards him, stopping herself as she looked at her remaining glove in distaste. She gingerly slipped it from her hand and, as expected, the mate to the scar on her other wrist wound its way around this one. When she noticed him staring at it, Shara pinned him with a hard stare, challenging him to say anything. By now though, he knew when to keep his mouth shut.

She grabbed a waterskin she had taken from one of the fallen drow, and tore off the bottom of the tunic another wore. Dampening the cloth, Shara began carefully cleaning the blood away from the cut on his face. Her touch was delicate yet efficient, as she methodically tended his wounds. She was silent as she did so, her expression getting more and more pensive the longer she worked. When she finally finished, she just sat there for a time, absently rolling the pot of salve in her hands. It was some time before she finally set the pot aside and looked up at him.

"I… I'm sorry for how I acted earlier." Shara stopped for a moment, gazing off into the distance as she ran her fingers through her hair. When she turned her attention back to Valen, she seemed a bit more sure of herself. "My behavior was completely inexcusable. I know better than to let my emotions control me like that."

"What's done is done, Shara. We survived, and there is no lasting damage." She eyed his wounds skeptically at this. "I said no _lasting_ damage. You and I both are going to have a few scars to remember today by."

"Scars to remember the day Shara was an idiot… just lovely." She muttered this under her breath as she stared into her lap, still clearly upset with herself.

"Let it be, Shara. It's not going to do you any good to dwell upon this." He reached out and tipped her chin up so she was looking at him again. "You already seem to have enough on your mind as it is. No need to add to the burden."

Valen's hand lingered on her cheek as he watched her face, which was awash in so many emotions he couldn't even begin to sort them out. How she managing to deal with it all right now was a mystery to him. He started to pull his hand away, but she reached up to take it, drawing it down towards her lap.

"I know." she said at last, as she idly traced the lines on his palm, sending a shiver down his spine. "I'm just afraid that I won't be able to keep myself from doing it again. We just can't afford another day like today."

He watched her in fascination as she ran her fingers along the calluses long years of fighting had formed on his hands. Her face was thoughtful, and he didn't think she was quite aware of what she was doing. The motion of her fingers stopped, and she pursed her lips as she stared at their hands for a long moment.

"Umm, Shara…" She glanced up at him suddenly, and then back down at their hands, her eyes going wide. A furious blush crept up her face, and she quickly snatched her hands away. No, she certainly had _not_ known what she had been doing.

Still smiling from her reaction, Valen continued with what he had been about to say. "There is one thing you can do, you know." She looked at him questioningly, her cheeks still a brilliant red. "Talk to the Seer when we get back to Lith My'athar. She's rather good at helping people deal with their problems, whatever they are. I should know."

She nodded her response. "That might just be a good idea." she said softly. "I won't pretend that the thought of doing so doesn't terrify me, though. This just isn't something that is easy for me to talk about with anyone."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that just yet. There are still a few dozen beholders between us and our goal." She just about jumped out her skin as he said this. It was only after she looked frantically around them for a moment that he realized why she had reacted this way. She really _was_ on edge!

Once she realized that there was no immediate danger, she turned towards Valen, glaring at him. "You did that on purpose!"

He couldn't help himself; the look on her face was just too much. He burst out laughing, which only served to deepen her glare, of course. It was a few moments before he could compose himself enough to speak without starting to laugh again. "Honest Shara, I didn't realize you'd react that way. But you do have to admit that it was pretty damn funny."

Valen watch as her expression softened, and her lips twitched in a repressed smile. Finally, she gave in, a grin spreading across her face. "See," he said, "smiling isn't that hard, is it?"

She growled in mock threat, and threw the bandages that had been sitting beside her at him, which he dodged easily. "Let's just go and kill some beholders, alright?"

"As you wish… my lady." She just rolled her eyes, and started repacking her bag. At least this time they would be setting out with Shara in a good mood.


	3. Chapter 3

Shara had never thought that she would be so thankful to see Lith My'athar as she was that moment. What had once seemed almost a prison, thanks to the geas binding her here, now felt like sanctuary. Her weary steps quickened as they passed the gates, and some of the tension of the past few days eased within her. Even though she had been able to keep herself from another outburst, she had not had an easy time of it. Her nightmares had continued to worsen, to the point where Valen had started to wake her at the first sign of them. Because of this, she had been getting only an hour or two of sleep at a time, leaving her temper frayed. She and Valen had had more than a few arguments about completely inane things.

She glanced over at the tiefling. His steps were leaden, as if it was all he could do to put one foot in front of the other. His eyes were tinged red, not because of any sign of his demonic heritage, but due to sheer exhaustion. Valen had done all he could to help her, and the effort had taken its toll. He needed this respite just as much as she did.

A few people called out greetings as they made their way through the encampment, but the most kept their distance. Shara was glad of this, as neither of them were in any shape for social interaction. She saw Imloth over by the water's edge drilling the troops, and was relieved to see that their skill was improving. She just hoped it would be enough.

When they reached the temple, Valen pushed the doors open, allowing the half-elf to enter before following behind her. Light glinted off silvery lines of spider webs etched in the walls, giving the impression of being caught inside a giant glistening web. Shara shivered, unable to shake the feeling of being watched that came over her every time she stepped past those doors. Lolth very well may have disappeared, but that didn't mean her presence had not left its mark here.

The Seer, as always, was waiting for them near the altar. At the sight of her, Shara suddenly remembered Valen's suggestion. The thought of discussing her problems with the Seer sent a wave of panic through her. The drow priestess was looking expectantly at the two of them, but all thought had flown from Shara's mind. Thankfully, Valen had perceived her problem quickly enough, and began explaining how they had dealt with the threat posed by the beholders.

She was only half-aware of his words, as she tried to order her own thoughts and still her panic. A sudden silence caused her to look up, only to find both the Seer and Valen looking at her with concern. The drow's gaze softened at something she saw on Shara's face. "Is there something on your mind, child?"

The half-elf shifted uncomfortably, looking anywhere but at the woman standing in front of her. She glanced over at Valen and wished she hadn't. His eyes caught hers and she couldn't make herself look away. His stare was hard and unforgiving… no, he wasn't going to let her get out of this. She sighed in resignation, and turned to meet the Seer's gaze.

"I…" she started, her voice catching on the words she meant to say. The drow just regarded her with a compassionate gaze, waiting patiently for Shara to compose herself. When she continued, her voice was quite, but held no more confidence than it had before. "If you have the time Seer, yes, there is something I would speak of."

"Of course I have time, Shara." she said, smiling kindly. "It is the least I can do for all you have done for us."

Shara just nodded mutely, unsure of what to do now. She felt a light touch to her shoulder and turned to find Valen watching her carefully.

"Shara, I'm going to go get some rest. If there is anything you need…" his voice trailed off awkwardly.

His offer brought a small smile to the half-elf's lips. When she had first met him, she hadn't expected to find that his harsh demeanor hid such a kind and compassionate heart. Here he was, nearly asleep on his feet, and yet he was willing to delay rest for her sake. He never ceased to surprise her.

"Valen, go get some sleep, you're exhausted." She was surprised to se a flicker of disappointment cross his face, quickly gone. It seemed he actually _wanted _to do something. Shara considered this for a moment before continuing. "If you feel up to it though, our supplies do need restocking." She slung her pack off her shoulder and pushed it his way. "You know as well as I what we need, and we should be able to get enough coin from selling a bit of what we found. There's a small bag at the top of my pack that has some of the more valuable items, as well as a bit of coin, if you need it."

His eyes went wide as she said this, clearly surprised at her willingness to trust him as such. He reached down and scooped up her bag, the startled expression still in place. "Of course, my lady." he said as he looked back up at her. She thought he had been about to say more, but he just nodded once in the Seer's direction before leaving the temple.

"Do you always have such a strong effect on people, Shara?" The Seer's question startled her, and she turned to look at the drow quizzically.

"Wha… what do you mean?" She wasn't quite sure what to make of the comment. Considering the enigmatic smile on the priestess' face, she doubted there was going to be any elaboration, either.

As expected, the Seer spoke no more on the subject, just motioned to the stairs at the far side of the room. "Come, Shara. We can speak in more comfort upstairs… if you still wish to talk, that is."

Shara grimaced. She would bet that the Seer knew full well that she didn't actually _want _to discuss anything right now. However, want and need were two entirely different things, and she couldn't deny that she needed to speak to someone about the past few days. Resigned to the necessity, she followed the drow's lead, her tired feet somehow navigating the stairs and then the narrow hallway that followed. Once again, someone was holding a door open for her, and she passed through to find a simple but well-appointed room with, thankfully, a pair of comfortable chairs that beckoned to the tired half-elf. Shara sank into the nearest with a relieved sigh; it felt wonderful to finally get off her feet.

The Seer gracefully settled herself into the remaining chair and sat regarding the other woman for a few moments before speaking. "You needn't fear speaking your mind, child. I believe I can help you, if you'll let me. What is troubling you such that it clouds your every thought?"

Shara leaned back in the chair, her eyes closed. She had held her fears close to her for far too long, so long that she wasn't quite sure how to put voice to them anymore. In all honesty, it was only just recently that she had seen them for what they truly were, and was still coming to terms with her discovery. Of course, that was why she was here, wasn't it?

She mulled it over in her mind, finally deciding to start with the simplest fact. "I've started having nightmares."

"These are not just simple nightmares, are they?" the Seer said gently.

"N… no, they're not." Her voice shook as she continued, the dreams all too vivid in her mind. "They are more like memories… memories of something I wish I could forget." She heaved a sigh as she stared down at her hands. "I haven't had these dreams for years. I thought I had gotten past this, but it seems I was wrong."

"Nightmares like this don't just return for no reason, Shara. You're afraid of something, aren't you?" The drow gazed intently at the young woman, but didn't bother to wait for a response. She didn't need to, she already knew the answer. "So afraid, it is with you every moment of the day, waking or sleeping, haunting your every thought." She paused, the silence hanging thick between them. "What is it, Shara, that you are so afraid of?"

She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, as if in doing so she could block out the world for just one moment. "What am I afraid of? At times, it seems like everything." She laughed bitterly. "I'm afraid of being alone, afraid of trusting anyone, of letting anyone close to me… of… of being hurt again." She looked up at last, tears sparkling in her eyes. "You see, I can't win, no matter what I do."

She couldn't hide her emotions anymore. The confession had stripped away the last of her protections. Fear, loneliness, desperation, all these and more shone from her eyes, begging the Seer for an answer… any answer. The only one missing was hope. For all that she wanted an answer, she couldn't bring herself to believe that there actually was one.

The Seer reached out her hand, covering the ugly scar on the half-elf's wrist. "You have lived through things no woman should ever have to. I wish there was something I could do to take away the pain of those memories, but there isn't. This is something that you must do for yourself." Shara's eyes were fixed on the dark fingers lying across her wrist, far easier to look at than the compassion filled eyes that were watching her. "You have a choice, Shara. Will you risk pain for the chance of having somebody to share your life with, or will you stay as you are, apart and alone, letting the loneliness eat you away, till you are but a shell of what you were?"

"That isn't much of a choice, is it?" she said, bitterness still lacing her tone.

The Seer withdrew her hand, watching as the young woman stared fixedly at the scar. "That may be so, but it is your choice to make."

Shara's lips thinned in distaste at the prospect. It seemed nothing in her life could ever be easy. She watched, only half interested, as the Seer rose and went to the door, speaking quietly to someone in the hall.

The priestess turned back to her once her brief conversation was done. "You have had a long day, child, and much to think on. A bath will be waiting for you in you room. It should help, at least a little. Go… get what rest you can." Her hand lightly caressed Shara's cheek before she ushered her from the room, leaving the half-elf alone with her thoughts.

She made her way back down the stairs and out from the temple almost unconsciously, her feet slowly leading her to her own room whilst her mind wandered. She pushed her door open to see that the Seer had spoken true. A large tub of steaming water was waiting for her, soap and towels lying close at hand. As she made her way over to it, she noticed her pack leaning against the bed. Unsurprisingly, it appeared Valen had been as good as his word, and restocked their supplies.

What did surprise her was the new pair of gloves laid across her pillow. She picked them up reverently and slipped them on her hands. The fit was perfect, the soft supple leather molded to her hands as if they had been made just for her. She shook her head in wonder as she took the gloves off, placing them carefully on top of her pack. This had to be Valen's doing; he was the only person who knew her gloves had been ruined. The tiefling never ceased to amaze her.

Her mood noticeably lightened, Shara shed her armor quickly, not wanting to let the bathwater get any colder than it already had. She left it and her clothing in a careless heap and began unwrapping the bandage on her arm. The wound appeared to be healing cleanly and quite quickly. Where once there had been a red and angry gash, only a tender pink scar remained. Magic definitely had its uses.

Shara sunk gratefully into the still steaming water, until her chin rested at the surface. She allowed herself a few minutes just sitting there, thinking of nothing, before reaching out for the soap. She commenced with a thorough scrubbing, determined to remove every last bit of blood and dirt that had accumulated over the past few days. As she worked her fingers through her long hair, her eyes drifted over to the gloves laying on her pack. Her movement slowed as she contemplated the implications of the gift. Could it be that he actually cared for her, at least in some small way? The thought stopped her dead, her fingers still entangled in her soapy hair.

What if there was a chance, even just a little one, that she didn't have to be alone. Would it be worth the risk to find out? Rather than the fear this idea would normally have inspired in her, she found that she truly wanted to know. Apparently, her fear of being alone outweighed all the others. This definitely was _not_ what she had been expecting to discover.

Shara dunked her head underwater, rinsing the soap from her hair. When she had finished, she stepped out from the now cool water and wrapped a towel about herself. She perched herself on the edge of her bed, gently untangling her dark locks, letting her mind wander where it would. Not unexpectedly, it continued to circle around the subject of Valen. It was one thing to know that she wanted to do something, but what? This was relative new territory for Shara, and she found herself at a complete loss.

She yawned hugely, interrupting her train of thought. Well, she certainly wasn't going to be able to sort this out tonight, tired as she was. The half-elf threw the towel on the floor and slipped under the covers. She just needed a little rest. She'd figure something out once she was thinking straight again.

Sleep took her almost the instant her head hit the pillow, a blessedly deep and dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The warm bed beckoned Shara back to slumber, but it was pointless. She was well and truly awake, and no amount of wishful thinking would change that. Despite this, she stubbornly remained abed, unwilling to relinquish the warm cocoon of blankets that enfolded her. She burrowed deeper under the covers, trying to block out the sounds of activity emerging from the surrounding camp.

What wasn't helping matters was her sudden recollection of her conversation with the Seer and the subsequent revelation she'd had. She had been so sure that a little sleep was all she needed to make things clear. Unfortunately, that did not seem to be the case. Well rested she might be, but Shara had no more idea what to do than she had the night before.

Somehow, she forced herself out of bed and began to rummage in her pack for some clean clothes. It didn't take her long to find the desired items, but as she was doing so, her hand brushed against an all too familiar object. Her fingers wrapped around the leather bound hilt and she slowly withdrew a small dagger from the pack. Shara wasn't sure how long she sat there, her eyes fixed on the blade, but from the stiffness in her shoulders, she guessed it had been some time. She set the dagger aside for a moment, a small tremor running through her hands the only sign of her agitation.

She turned back to the clothes she had found, donning them in short order. Her armor took a bit longer, as she extracted it from the heap she had left it in the night before. A few pieces were going to need some maintenance soon, but it wasn't anything that she couldn't put off a bit longer.

As Shara tightened the last of the buckles that secured her leathers, her gaze once again fell upon the little blade. It was an unassuming thing, a plain steel dagger with a well-worn leather wrapped hilt, sheathed in dark stained leather, nothing that merited the pure loathing with which the half-elf was regarding it. Shara sighed and shut her eyes. It was well past time for her to face her past, and stop letting these memories haunt her. She reached out for the dagger as if it was a viper ready to strike, quickly placing it on her belt opposite her rapier. She cinched the belt around her waist, trying not to think of the last time this dagger had sat at her hip as it did now.

Shara slipped on her new gloves, smiling a bit as she did so, and took a final look about her room. Everything was in order, so there was no reason to delay any longer. She might not have any idea of what she was going to do about Valen, but she was resourceful, she'd figure something out.

------------

The activity in the camp seemed to have reached almost frenetic levels during their absence. Any idle hands were quickly snatched up and set to work, be that securing the defenses at the gates or seeing to the supplies needed for the inevitable siege. The troops, once a ragtag assembly of rebels and outcasts, were actually beginning to function as a cohesive unit. Imloth had definitely been the right one to leave in charge. 

Valen took this all in as he sat with the commander during a brief break in the drills. "You've done well with them, Imloth." he said, nodding towards the troops. "They may just be ready to deal with the Valsharess' army this time."

"I certainly hope so." His gaze flickered briefly across the camp. "I don't think we have much time left."

Valen looked over at his companion, a worried expression stealing across his face. "How much more time do you think we have?"

"At this point, I'm not really sure. My scouts have been reporting increased activity around the Valsharess' forces. " The drow paused for a moment, his expression mirroring Valen's own. "I'm guessing we have at most a week, if we're lucky. If not, it could be a matter of days."

"Damn it! We need more time." Valen leaned back, staring up into the heights of the cavern, as if a solution to their problems could be found hidden in the shadows above. "As it stands, we probably only have time to deal with one more of her allies. Any thoughts on which one, Imloth?"

Imloth shook his head with regret. "I don't know, Valen. Removing either of them would be a great help. Both would be ideal, but as you said, we don't have time for that." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Honestly, I'm rather surprised that the two of you have gotten as far as you have. Shara isn't exactly what any of us expected."

A slow smile spread across Valen's face. Secretive and stubborn almost to a fault, the shadowdancer had somehow turned his life upside down in a brief matter of weeks. He never quite knew what to expect when he was around her. To add to the matter, he found himself thinking of her at the oddest of times. No, she certainly had not been what he was expecting.

He caught Imloth eyeing him curiously, and fought off a ridiculous urge to blush. "Umm… she definitely is more than just a simple thief." Valen shifted uncomfortably, realizing he sounded rather foolish. Thankfully, Imloth let the moment pass with no more comment than a raised brow.

Just at that moment, he spotted Shara walking across the encampment. "Speaking of Shara," Valen said, nodding in her direction, "I'd best go talk to her. We need to figure out what we're going to do next if we're to make the most of our time. I'll stop by before we leave to see if you need anything."

"Don't worry about it, Valen. Just get out there and help Shara do whatever it is she's been doing. That's what we really need." Imloth waved the tiefling off towards the half-elf, smirking slightly as he did so.

By the time he had caught up with her, the half-elf had made it to the far side of the camp, and had settled herself on an outcropping that had an excellent view of their surroundings, an obelisk serving as a convenient backrest. She was so deep in thought that she didn't actually notice him until he was almost right next to her. She glanced up at him, and Valen was relieved to see that the shadows under her eyes had lightened considerably. She had enough on her shoulders without having to deal with lack of sleep.

Shara shifted a little to make room for him, and motioned to the spot next to her. "So, what did Imloth have to say?"

Valen let out a startled laugh as he settled himself next to the half-elf. She had appeared so absorbed in her thoughts, he hadn't thought she'd noticed anything beyond her immediate surroundings. He smiled, shaking his head in amazement as he looked over at her. "There isn't much that gets past you, is there?"

Shara smirked a little, clearly proud of herself. "Valen, I'm a spy. When I'm working, I have to stay aware of everything going on around me. My job, and often my life, depends on it. It's become a bit of an ingrained habit." Her smile turned mischievous as she continued. "Actually, I could probably guess at what you were talking about. You were near the troops he's training, so you would have begun by discussing their progress. The approach of the Valsharess is on everyone's mind, so that would have been a natural progression of the conversation."

She paused, pressing a finger to her lips as she pondered something. "There is one thing I can't figure out, though. What inspired the look that was on Imloth's face when you left?" She turned her gaze towards him, her eyebrow raised a fraction.

Valen cursed her observational skills, having fallen victim to them once again. "Umm… I'm not quite sure myself, though you were dead on with the rest of the conversation." Valen hoped she would accept his plea of ignorance and let the conversation move away from the incident.

Happily, she obliged him, turning back to her first question, though her lips twitched slightly in a repressed smile. "How much time does he say we have? I know he sends out scouts, so he should have a reasonably good idea."

"Less than a week." Valen turned to her, a hint of desperation touching his eyes. "Shara, there isn't enough time to do everything. Both the undead and illithid's are still allied with the Valsharess, but we will only be able to deal with one of them. The question is, which one?"

"Well," Shara began, her brow furrowed in thought, "from what I understand, the only way to really deal with the illithids is to negotiate. I for one am not looking forward to that prospect."

He nodded his agreement, his lips thinning in distaste at the thought of dealing with the illithid. "Avoiding them is probably for the best. I don't tend to be very diplomatic with anyone who keeps slaves."

Shara's gaze softened at his words, and a sad smile touched her lips. "I imagine you aren't… but then, neither am I."

Something in the tone of her voice made Valen look at her more closely. Her eyes were filled with compassion, but beneath that was something more… a touch of understanding, a flicker of remembered pain. His gaze fell to her hands, the heavy scars concealed behind her new gloves. Could she too have fallen victim to slavery? He raised his eyes to her face to find her expression turned quizzical, if a bit apprehensive.

"My lady, you have never mentioned slavery before, but you speak as one who knows how it feels to be owned." He could sense her anxiety increasing with his words, and regretted speaking them immediately. When would he learn not to press her like this?

Slowly, the fear in her eyes turned to a kind of determined resolve. She let out a shaky breath before speaking, her voice quiet and thick with emotion. "You are partially right, Valen. I have never actually been a slave, but I do know how it feels to see your worth counted out in coin and passed from one to another." She closed her eyes as the memory washed over her. "That is not something anyone should have to experience."

No wonder she reacted so strongly to his words. As he had feared, he had touched upon one of her more painful memories. "No, that is not something anyone would want to live through." He cocked his head over to one side, thinking through his next words carefully. "What I don't understand is how you could have experienced that, and yet never have been a slave."

Shara leaned her head back against the obelisk, staring out into nothing. "That will take a bit of explaining."

"There is no need, Shara. It is not my place to pry into your past." He had already pressed much further than he should have. He would not be able to forgive himself if he caused her any more pain.

She shifted herself, turning to face him fully. "Valen, after everything I've put you through over the past few days, you deserve to hear my story." He opened his mouth to object, only to have Shara's fingers pressed against his lips, forestalling any response he might have made. "There's more to it than that, though. I trust you, Valen. I don't think there's anyone I trust more than you right now, actually." She ran her fingers along his face, brushing her thumb lightly against his cheek. "I… I want to tell you." Her voice trailed off, a desperate hope lingering in her eyes.

Valen reached out to enfold her hand within his own as it fell away from his face. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it had taken for her to speak those words. "My lady, I am honored by the trust you've placed in me. I promise that you will never come to regret it." Impulsively, he brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles lightly. "If you wish to tell me your tale, I will happily listen for as long as you need me to."

Her eyes traveled from his face down to their entwined hands, a smile slowly forming on her lips. "Thank you, Valen. That means a lot to me." Her smile turned rueful. "Of course, this means I have to figure out where to start."

Valen reluctantly relinquished her hand. Sometime in the last few minutes, they had gone from the wary trust of new comrades, to a closeness he wasn't quite sure what to make of. The one thing that he was sure of though, was that this was a good thing. He wasn't about to do anything to endanger it. However, that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun.

"Well," he began, a mischievous smile spreading across his face, "I've always found that it works best to start at the beginning."

Her laughter rang out across the cavern, causing a few heads to turn their way. It was a beautiful sound, made all the more precious by the scarcity with which it was heard. His smile deepened, pleased immensely by her response. Shara grinned back at him and rolled her eyes. "Yes Valen, I probably should start at the beginning. That _is_ the standard way to tell a story, after all."

Valen settled himself into a more comfortable position, prepared for what he suspected would be a lengthy tale. The half-elf pursed her lips in thought, the mirth slowly fading from her face. "I've already told you how I got my start as a thief, but that's not really where all this starts. No, the real beginning was when I met Devyn." She sighed, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin upon them. "It's not really important how I met him, just that I did."

"We traveled together for almost a year, looking for whatever adventure or opportunity we could find. Not once did I ever suspect what was to come. Eventually, we found our way to Waterdeep, where he claimed to know a man who had a job that would leave us well enough off that we wouldn't need to worry about coin for a fair bit of time." She shook her head, not in denial, but in apparent disgust with herself. "I trusted him blindly. I was such a fool."

All her earlier gaiety had drained from her completely, leaving the half-elf staring forlornly off into the distance. "I don't really remember where he brought me, I've spent so long trying to forget this. I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped through the door. There wasn't much I could do about it though, considering someone grabbed me from behind immediately after. I was so shocked, I didn't even put up a fight when they bound my hands."

Shara appeared to be lost in thought, so Valen gently prompted her to continue. "What of Devyn? What did they do to him?"

She laughed bitterly in response to his inquiry. "Oh, they didn't do a thing to him. You see, he was in on it from the start." She turned her eyes to him, the pain in them seemingly bottomless. "He sold me, Valen. He traded my love for a bag of gold. That was all I was worth to him."

He reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder, willing her to believe his words. "He was a fool then. No amount of gold could even touch what you are worth. Don't you _ever_ let yourself believe otherwise."

She smiled wanly at him and nodded before continuing, her voice flat. "I imagined all manner of unspeakable fates for myself. None of them could hold a candle to what was actually in store for me." Her voice started to shake, and her eyes became distant as she recalled the events that ensued. "They took me to the cellar. It was cold and damp, much as you would expect in that regard, but this was no ordinary cellar. It was almost entirely empty. The only thing breaking the monotony was a single set of chains hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't hard to guess that the manacles hanging from them were meant for me."

Her voice was shaking violently by now. In fact, her whole body had begun to tremble. Valen wanted to tell her to stop, that she didn't need to go on, but in his heart he knew she needed to finish this story. She wasn't in any state to do that right now, though. Shara was completely lost to the present, immersed entirely in the horror of her past. She had buried her head against her knees, but he could still see the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

Unwilling to let her suffer through this on her own, Valen wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close as his armor would allow. He stroked her hair and murmured soothing nonsense as she sobbed quietly into his chest. It took some time, but eventually her tears stopped and she calmed enough to speak coherently. "And to think, that wasn't even the worst of it." She sighed, gently extracting herself from his embrace, glancing about to make sure her outburst had not drawn too much attention. "I started this though, so I have to finish it."

"I know." He brushed a few stray tears from her face. "Just remember you aren't alone."

This time her smile held more confidence. "Thank you, Valen. It helps… a lot."

She took a deep breath and forged ahead. "At that point, I fainted dead away. I'm rather glad of that, actually, since it meant that I wasn't aware of the indignities that followed. When I came to, I was stripped naked and hanging by my wrists from the ceiling. There was only one person in the room, the same man who had bought me from Devyn." She spat this last out, her hatred for this man clearly still ran strong. "I got my first good look at him then. There really wasn't much special about him, he was the type of man who could blend into the crowd effortlessly. It was the pendant hanging from his neck that grabbed my attention, a gold medallion bearing the image of a nine-tailed whip, a blood red ruby set at the tip of each strand. I was at the mercy of a priest of Loviatar, the Maiden of Pain."

Valen had been watching her closely as she continued her story. It clearly pained her to speak of it, but she seemed to be holding up much better than before. Her voice has only shaken slightly as she spoke the goddess' name. If that name implied what he though it did, they had more in common than he ever suspected. "My lady, I have little knowledge of the gods, so I do not know of whom you speak. If her title is any indication, I don't imagine it wasn't a particularly good predicament to find yourself in."

Shara let out a short, humorless laugh. "That has got to be one of the biggest understatements I've heard in a long time. No, it was not a good situation." She smiled grimly at the tiefling. "You told me that demons know how to torture. Well, Loviatans could probably give them a run for the money. This man, who I learned later was called Saldos Jharzund, was very, very good at what he did. With only a simple dagger, he made the next few months of my life a living hell."

She reached down to her waist, unsheathing a dagger that he was sure had not been there the previous day. She turned it about in her hands for a moment, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I had felt the cut of a blade before, but nothing like this. Normally a cut is painful but quick. When it is done slowly though, it is absolutely excruciating."

Valen watched in horror as she slowly traced a line along her knee with the tip of the dagger. She wasn't even using enough pressure to cut the fabric of her breeches, but the sight still sent a chill down his spine. He reached out to halt the movement of her hand. "Shara… stop." She didn't look up from her hands at his words, but did allow him to carefully remove the dagger from her grip.

Her eyes never left the blade as it moved from her possession to his. The look of fear and loathing on her face made him realize just what it was that he was now holding. "This is the dagger he used, isn't it?"

She nodded, the look of distaste lingering on her face. "I don't think there was an inch of my skin that didn't feel the bite of that blade. The only reason I'm not covered with scars is because he was almost obsessive about healing me. I guess that's understandable, since his intent was to cause pain, not kill me." She stared at her hands for a moment, as if she could see the scars hidden by her gloves. "The scars on my wrists are the only ones left. Since he never let me out of the chains, the manacles just kept rubbing my wrists raw, and they never really had a chance to heal till I got free."

The tiefling couldn't help but wonder just how she had gotten free. He was all too familiar with the difficulty of doing this, so he asked her as much.

The corner of her mouth quirked up at his question, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. "Believe it or not, he let me go. I'm not quite sure why, but I'm not one to argue with good fortune. One day, I woke up to find myself alone in the room and free of my bonds. There was a small pile of food and clothes in the corner, with that dagger sitting on top." She inclined her head towards the little blade he was holding before continuing. "I wasn't in much shape to go anywhere right then, so I took some time to rest until the food ran out. When I finally left, I didn't have anything but the clothes on my back, but I was too bloody proud to accept charity." She looked sourly off into the distance. "Kind of ironic, considering what I ended up doing."

Shara's expression became grim, and she kept her eyes firmly focused straight ahead. Whatever she had done, it was not something she was particularly proud of. Valen gently took her chin in his free hand and turned her face to his. Her eyes shifted away as he did so, unwilling to make contact with his own. "Whatever it was that you did, Shara, you should know that I won't judge you by it. I, of all people, should know that what we have done in the past is not necessarily representive of who we are in the present."

The half-elf shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, that doesn't change what I did." Her eyes glanced up warily to his, darting away before he could read anything from them. "I was obsessed with vengeance, and would do anything to further my quest. Thieving wasn't getting me very far, so I turned to the one tool every woman has at her disposal, my body. The term prostitute is much too polite for what I did… whore is far, far more fitting." Her mouth twisted around the word, the extent of her self-loathing clear in her voice.

She barely took a breath before continuing, as if loath to stop and think about what she was saying. "I didn't stop at that, though. The work was profitable enough, it's amazing how much coin some men are willing to part with to get a woman with elvish blood into their bed, but it just wasn't enough." She shrugged briefly, still unwilling to meet his eyes. "My hunt had taken me to some rather disreputable parts, and the opportunity arose to make a little more coin. At that point, I really didn't care that a stranger was asking me to kill a man I was about to bed. Coin was coin, and the job would be easy enough. He was so distracted having his fun, he never even saw the blade coming."

Valen flinched inwardly at her words, not liking the image forming in his mind, but unable to banish it. It had been hard enough to deal with the thought of her with another man like that, but this… He reached his free hand out, gently squeezing her knee, not quite sure if he was trying to reassure himself or her.

"They say the first time is always the hardest, and they're right. It just kept getting easier and easier. Before I knew it, I had added assassin to my list of titles." She pulled away from Valen, closing her eyes and huddling in on herself. "For three years I lived as such, selling my blade and my body in my quest for vengeance. Sometimes," she said, her voice dropping to a bare whisper, "it feels like I sold my soul."

With those words, a weight seemed to fall away from her. The admission she had been so dreading making was past, no longer hanging over her head. "Eventually, I found him. It felt like I chased him across half of Faerûn, but I tracked him down in Westgate. I took his life with the very blade that he had used to cause me so much pain."

Finally, she looked Valen straight in the eye. "I saw what I had become then, and hated it. I wanted to run, but I had nowhere and no one to run to anymore. I lived on the fringes for a while, falling back upon my skills as a thief to get by. It wasn't much of a life, but it was better than sleeping with or killing people I didn't even know."

Shara shook her head, a wistful smile forming on her lips. "I don't know what would have happened to me if Phaedrie hadn't found me."

Glad to see her a bit more at peace, Valen smiled and passed the dagger back to her. "Well, whoever this Phaedrie is, I'm certainly thankful she found you as well."

His statement elicited a shy smile from the half-elf. "Phaedrie is the head of the troop of shadowdancers I traveled with. She saw something in me she could use, and gave me the opportunity to join them, no questions asked. I stayed with them for almost ten years, only striking out on my own a few years ago."

"There really isn't much more to my story. The time since I left the troop has been rather uneventful." She paused for a moment, clearly remembering something in particular. "Well, there was that little jaunt to the Shadow Plane, but…" She shrugged her shoulders noncommittally.

Valen's eyes went wide at this little tidbit. "The Shadow Plane? Wha… how did you…" He sputtered like this for a moment, at a complete loss for words. That she had done even a small amount of planar travel… The tiefling shook his head in amazement. "You are definitely going to have to tell me about this 'little jaunt'."

The mischievous glint returned to Shara's eyes. "You're just going to have to wait for that story. I think I've done more than enough talking for the day."

Valen was slightly disappointed by her reticence, but not entirely surprised. He had a feeling that she intentionally mentioned this just to tease him. "As long as you _do_ intend to tell me about this, that's fine. But if you keep teasing me…" He glared at her with mock menace, his tail flicking about rapidly.

"Oh, I'll tell you…" She glanced at him sidelong, grinning slyly. "…in my own time."

He let out a short laugh and shook his head in exasperation. "In that case, we should probably get going. For all that I'd love to pry that story out of you, we still have too much to do." He rose to his feet and extended his hand, his armor creaking slightly. "My lady…"

Shara's eyes were sparkling in delight as she took his hand, rising gracefully to her feet. Valen noticed that she seemed slightly reluctant as she released his hand, and arched an eyebrow questioningly. For once, it was her turn to blush and look away. She muttered something about needing to check their rations, hurrying off with a promise to find him when she was done.

Valen watched her go with a bemused smile on his face. This day just kept getting more interesting by the moment.

------------

As small pile was forming next to Shara, as she sifted through the encampment's supplies. It had taken her quite some time to collect even this small amount, since her mind kept wandering. She pulled out a few more rolls of bandages, hoping that they wouldn't need them, but knowing that they would. Even with Valen guarding her back, she still seemed to find her way into more than enough trouble for the both of them. 

A smile slowly spread across her face. She had chosen to accept Valen's offer of help simply for his ability to watch her back. She had never expected to find herself so drawn to the man, let alone find she could trust him with her past. It figures that she would meet him in the least likely of places. Apparently, nothing in her life could be simple.

Shara fingered the bandages thoughtfully. There was more to this than just trust, though. She was beginning to realize that her feelings ran much deeper than that. An ironic smile spread slowly across her face. Here she was, in the middle of the Underdark with an army of drow ready to descend upon her, and she was mooning over a man… though he _was_ a very handsome man. If only he didn't have to wear all that armor…

A light knock startled her from her thoughts, and a moment later Valen entered the room, his pack slung over his shoulder. At the sight of the object of her contemplations, a bright blush rushed to her cheeks. She stammered a greeting, suddenly finding a great deal of interest in the supplies scattered about her. It took a moment before she could compose herself enough to look up. Valen kindly refrained from saying anything, but she could tell from the look on his face that he found the situation humorous.

The half-elf sighed, turning her attention back to the pile in front of her. "I think I've found everything we need." she said, sorting the pile as she spoke. "If there's anything you think I've missed, we can probably find it somewhere in here." Her job was done quickly enough, and she pushed one of the piles towards Valen. "We should probably pack this and go fairly soon. We don't have much time to spare."

Valen nodded his agreement and knelt down beside her, dropping his pack at his side. Shara was amazed by the grace with which he could move in that armor. She was sure that all that weight would leave her staggering like a drunken fool. She tried to focus upon packing her own bag, but couldn't help casting a surreptitious glance Valen's way every now and again.

As they worked, she noticed Valen's mood slowly change, becoming much more contemplative. Eventually, he sighed and turned his gaze towards her. "Shara, I…" He paused, seemingly reluctant to speak. "…I owe you an apology."

His words stopped her in her tracks. She sat there for a moment, staring at him blankly, before speaking. "An apology? Whatever for?"

He pondered this for a moment, obviously going over what he wanted to say before committing it to words. "Ever since the Seer foretold your coming, I have resented you… at least a little. I think… I think it was more because I wanted to be the one who kept the Seer safe. I had been working so long to save the rebels that I did not want someone bursting in and taking all the credit." He faltered for a moment, looking slightly abashed. "So I convinced myself you could not be trusted, that perhaps the Seer's vision was wrong."

Valen stared into the half-elf's eyes intently. "The Seer wasn't the one who was wrong, I was. You have proven yourself time and again. I have done you a disservice with my doubts. I… I am very sorry."

Shara listened quietly to his apology, pleased beyond measure that he had gotten past his initial mistrust. A smile quirked her lips at a sudden thought. Any other time she would have held back, but she was suddenly feeling rather bold. She let her smile widen and arched an eyebrow. "And… that's it?"

Valen seemed slightly taken aback by her response. "What… what do you mean?"

Shara was distinctly beginning to enjoy herself, and her eyes sparkled with it. "Is _that _how you apologize to a woman?"

He watched her carefully for a moment, a hint of a smirk playing across his mouth. Finally, he executed a surprisingly elegant seated bow. "Of course you are correct, my lady. I humbly beg for the chance to rescind my words. Could you ever see you way to forgiving me?"

The glint in Shara's eyes turned mischievous. "Mmm… perhaps… for a kiss."

Valen was taken completely by surprise, a bright blush creeping up his neck. "Err… surely my lady is joking?"

Shara laughed, delighted to have turned the tables. "Of course not! Why would I joke about that?"

He joined her in laughing, though his blush continued to deepen. "Then I… I suppose I will have to consider that a forgiveness of a sort, yes?"

"Yes Valen, I do forgive you. Though…" She paused, leaning towards him and placing her hand on his chest. "…there still is the matter of the kiss."

Valen's eyes went round, in a delightful expression of surprise. He seemed to be at a complete loss for words.

"Well…" the half-elf prompted, leaning closer to the startled tiefling.

Slowly, he reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand. Her heart raced as he leaned down and their lips met in a soft yet sweet kiss. His hand lingered against her face for a moment as he broke away, his thumb trailing lightly along her jaw line when he finally let it fall to his lap.

Shara's hand was still pressed against Valen's chest, and rather than letting matters end here, she slid it upwards, deftly avoiding the ridges of his armor. She ran her fingers along the side of his throat, causing him to shiver slightly, before letting them come to rest at the nape of his neck. "Very, very nice," she murmured, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. "But I think we can do better than that."

Before he had time for more than a startled look to flash across his face, she pulled him close, their lips meeting for the second time that day. The walls she had built to protect herself had crumbled completely, and she no longer felt the need to hold back, to keep herself apart. She poured all her pent up desire from those last few lonely years of her life into the kiss, allowing herself to be lost in it for a brief period of time. After a moment, she felt Valen's arms slip about her, and he responded with a passion she had never encountered before, though she _had_ never kissed a tiefling. It was a decidedly pleasant experience she fully intended to repeat.

When they finally parted, both were decidedly breathless. "Hmmm…" she purred, her hand still tangled in his hair, "_that_ is what I call a kiss."

Valen suddenly seemed to become aware that he was holding Shara quite closely. He withdrew his arms hastily as another furious blush colored his cheeks. "My lady, I… I don't know what came over me. Please, forgive my boldness."

This time, Shara let him go, an unfettered laugh ringing throughout the room. "_Your_ boldness? Valen…" She trailed off, shaking her head incredulously.

The tiefling still looked distinctly uncomfortable, his eyes sliding away from Shara's as he fumbled at another attempt at an apology. "Shara…"

Shara's fingers flew to Valen's lips, partially to halt his words, but also simply as an excuse to touch him. "No Valen, don't apologize. If it makes you uncomfortable, I won't mention it again, but I won't let you apologize for it." She brushed her hand lightly against his cheek before letting it fall away. "I won't forget it either, though."

Valen's eyes locked with hers in an intense gaze. It was a long moment before he finally spoke. "Neither will I my lady, neither will I…" A hint of a blush returns to his cheeks, and he looks away self-consciously. "We should probably get going, my lady. There is little time to lose."

Shara nodded, noticing how Valen now seemed to blush every time he looked at her. She had a feeling that traveling with him was only going to get more interesting from this point forward. She carefully stowed the last of their supplies in her pack before getting to her feet, pack in hand. "Shall we, Valen?" she said, motioning towards the door.

"Of course." he replied, slinging his own pack over his shoulders. He stepped in front of the half-elf, opening the door wide for her, motioning with a gracious sweep of his hand that she should precede him. She smiled at the gesture, noticing that he always seemed to fall back on gallantry in awkward situations. She kept quiet as they walked through the encampment. She had been giving in to her impulsive side so much that she didn't quite trust herself to stop. Valen deserved a break… at least for a little while.

Not long after they passed the main gates, Valen broke the silence. "Shara, there's something that's been worrying me a bit."

Shara glanced at him, a worried frown crossing her face. If something was concerning Valen, it definitely merited attention. "What is it, Valen?"

"Well, it's the archdevil that the Valsharess holds captive." His mouth twisted in distaste at the thought, a flicker of red touching his gaze for a brief moment. "Even if she is defeated, we still have to deal with him, and I have a bad feeling that he is far more powerful than she."

The thought sent a chill down her spine. She truly had no desire to confront an archdevil. "What do you know about him?" Even before he spoke, she knew she wouldn't like his answer.

"Honestly, very little. My old master, however, was a dread Balor known as Grimash't, one of the most powerful of all tanar'ri. Yet an archdevil such as the one the Valsharess holds would laugh at his abilities." Valen's frown deepened. Clearly, he was not pleased with the conclusion he had drawn. "I say this because he may be the primary reason the Valsharess possesses the power she does. If we could find out how she controls him, and perhaps break that control… then we might have a chance."

Shara stopped, her expression souring. "Lovely, just lovely. Now we have an archdevil to worry about as well." She shook her head in disgust, both at her words and the situation. "I guess we always have known about him, I just haven't wanted to think about it."

Valen's expression was grim. "I know, my lady. I've been avoiding the problem as well. Considering we know little at the moment, it probably is pointless to worry about it just yet. Let's just keep going. I'm sure we'll think of something eventually."

The half-elf sighed, wishing she could even pretend to be confidant of their success. Somehow or another, she was sure he felt the same. "I certainly hope your right, Valen." she murmured, setting off determinedly, the tiefling right behind.


End file.
